Dear Daronne, My family does not believe my psychiatric diagnosis at all.

La Daronne is the queen of not-so-stupid advice covered in a large dose of more or less subtle humor. Here she is back to rescue a reader!

Dear Daronne,

I always had the feeling that something was wrong with me, but my family and especially my parents and siblings never took me seriously. I’ve always had a reputation for being overly emotional and stressed. Recently, however, I took the plunge and consulted a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with a neuropsychiatric disorder.

Since then, I have finally understood my reactions and have been able to access the appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, when I wanted to tell my family, they again didn’t take me seriously.

For them these disorders are just a trend launched by social media and psychiatrists diagnose at all costs (no, I’ve passed many complex tests). In short, everything is fine with me, I just take my head and I have to stop looking at my belly button. I’m hurt by their reaction, so how can I convince them that my disorder is real and serious?

Help me dear Daronne,

so so

Daronne’s answer

My little slide,

I have to tell you that I don’t understand you, young people, with your social media planting strange ideas in your head. Twenty years ago, everyone was doing great and no one ever had mental health issues. After all, the first cases of depression were recorded in 2015, when Instagram exploded. As for the terms “anguish” and “anxiety”, they were only added to the dictionary in 2021, and again, I’m sure it’s because a Wokes association like you lobbied the Larousse house.

As for you: let me guess: have you embarked on this healing process to feel better on a daily basis? If so, I understand your parents: what you need to solve the problems that make you suffer. What’s the next step? Accept yourself, flourish and be happy in life?

Have social networks launched the fashion for psychiatric disorders?

You only have to whisper the term “social network” three times in front of a mirror for a boomer to appear out of nowhere and explain to you how Buttock of Bouque AND The dramatic moment it made people sensitive and whiny. It must be said that these cute influencers with their cat-eared headbands who question each other without taboos and receive encouragement in return, really piss off a generation raised in denial of the very concept of mental health.

I too see that social networks these days seem to be passionate about acronyms and labels complete with letters. But this is a trend that came out of nowhere like the time we all started dancing to our own real Instagram to tell our daily life and share advice to our 110 subscribers complete with theatrical mimicry? When we can’t dance and our acting is as powerful as a carrot? Perhaps.

But I rather think that until recently everyone ran into their little mental problems in their corner, convinced they were the weirdest the earth had ever stood. Thanks to the nets, these isolated weirdos came out of the woods, invigorated by the knowledge that not only were they not alone, but that there were solutions to live properly. If you think about it, a bunch of people who were born before the internet are still alive today. This makes people who grew up believing that the DSM-III was a desktop model designed to compete with the IMAC. Several generations to be diagnosed at the same time, it does not go unnoticed, and especially not on networks.

People have the right to have their own beliefs, even if they are wrong

Everyone has their own little irrational beliefs, even if science formally proves otherwise. I’m not a shrink, you know that since I repeat it week after week. Consequently, I really don’t know why everyone persists in denying certain facts, but I would tend to say that, in general, it allows us to protect ourselves from what scares us and/or what we don’t exclude. For example, I, even though I don’t believe in god so much that even if he existed, he would let me rot in my grave to avoid traumatic shock, I still think my children are immortal. They’ll never die, but since I’ve thought of everything, they won’t even face the lonely pains of immortality. I leave it up to the universe to sort out those practical details and I strongly believe in them.

I know you expect me to give you advice so that all your relatives suddenly change personalities, but frankly, did you believe for a second that a daronne like me has such knowledge? You don’t even have to joke. All I can advise is to stop looking for validation from people who don’t want to give it to you. First, they have every right to be ignorant and in denial.

Secondly, the more you try to convince them, the more they will be happy to contradict you by sharing with you all the studies and forums that disprove the existence of the disorder in question available on the web. And believe me, you want to avoid it: the Internet is large and populated by people without the slightest legitimacy who like to lay paving stones to denounce established facts, under the pretext of having dedicated ten minutes of reflection to it.

Verdict: You can’t get inside people’s brains to erase their misconceptions and blinders. On the other hand, good news, do you know which brain you can act on? But yes! Your !

Get close to the people who make you feel good

I’m about to say something very profound, hold on. I think growing up means we stop expecting our loved ones to change when they’ve never expressed the slightest desire to do so, under the pretext that they are our loved ones and should in theory behave properly. No parent is perfect, there are some damn stupid ones too. It is not because one day you decided to reproduce that you suddenly become a celestial being free from redhibitory defects.

At some point, you have to know how to let go. Letting go can mean cutting ties or continuing to see them at a pace that suits you, as long as no one brings up your diagnosis. If you accept the status quo, it’s not because they have the right to provoke you.

To share your daily challenges and have the courage to show yourself as you are, it’s best to foster caring and open-minded people right from the start and not because you begged for them. While waiting to meet other people who understand you in real life (if you don’t already know some) you can put down your bags in one of the many virtual communities where people in your situation can discuss their daily challenges, without judgement. . And why not create your own TikTok or Instagram account to raise awareness!

I leave you, I absolutely must exit my Reddit account,

bisette,

Your Daronne